IN the end, the relentless machine which is England overcame the passion and romance of Wales.

But it was close, boyo it was close. Much closer even than suggested by the 28-17 scoreline, which took England through to a World Cup semi-final against France in Sydney next weekend.

It is a long time since we have seen England's towering inferno of a captain, Martin Johnson, laid flat on his back as he was by Brent Cockbain in a feisty first-half encounter.

A long time, too, since England were reduced to kicking the ball away and coughing up penalties like naughty schoolboys, so rattled where they by the Welsh fire.

Have we ever seen Jonny Wilkinson reduced to a constant stream of errors? Such was the pressure he was put under by men in red who had not just come to win a rugby match, more to restore the pride of a nation. I doubt it.

And when was the last time England conceded three tries to Wales and only managed one themselves?

Whichever way you look at it the question marks just keep stacking up over England like jets over Heathrow, no doubt spinning around in the mind of coach Clive Woodward even if he continues to contend that "winning is everything".

He is right, of course, but as they progress deeper into this tournament the questions will get ever harsher.

Simply, Wales exposed the underbelly of English resistance in much the same way that Samoa had done.

Give the ball width to powerful runners and defend for your lives and Woodward's men, favourites to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy in two weeks' time, can be beaten.

That is the message the French will take from this wonderfully absorbing quarter-final.

Neither will it have escaped the attentions of New Zealand or Australia, who meet in the other semi-final and still pose a huge threat to Woodward's dream.

But before we dissect English flaws, it would be churlish not to salute the brave heart of a fabulous Welsh performance.

That inspired display against the All Blacks a week ago - when Wales led deep into the game before going down 53-37 - had brought hopes of a new dawn for Welsh rugby.

There was talk of a "new belief", a rejuvenation which had united a proud rugby nation.

We wondered if it was just talk, if it had been a rugby mirage.

It was not. It was genuine - a courageous, glorious dawn which was a wonder to behold.

To say Wales took England out of their comfort zone in a pulsating first half is like saying Aussies enjoy a drop of cold beer.

The Welsh were brilliant, Stephen Jones scoring the try of the tournament after he and Gareth Thomas had swapped passes and Shane Williams had juggled supremely before reversing a pass to send Jones in for the touchdown.

But it was not just the width with which Wales attacked which was breathtaking.

They were first to every breakdown. They repelled each England attack with power and tenacity, so much so that Dan Luger ran around like a headless chicken, fumbling balls here, slicing kicks there.

More than a few white shirts followed him and it was a relief to every Englishman when Luger was replaced by Mike Catt at the interval.

And at the heart of seemingly everything Wales did was Colin Charvis - captain courageous, a man without a club contract and who only made this World Cup courtesy of sponsorship from a Cardiff restaurant.

But yesterday he was on a mission - to cover every blade of grass at the Suncorp Stadium in the cause of Welsh rugby.

There is no denying he did that, his bulldozing try before half time sending Wales in with a 10-3 lead and the reception they received might have been heard in Bridgend, never mind Brisbane.

But rugby matches, like all sporting contests, can change in one defining moment. For England this match had two.

The first was Woodward's decision to bring on Catt - the South African-born three-quarter who immediately brought a new dimension to a back line which had been conspicuously short of imagination.

That is, of course, until Jason Robinson, he of the twinkling boots, lived up to his "Billy Whizz" nickname with a 50-metre break of scything devastation. That was the second blur of definition.

The timing of his pass was perfect for Will Greenwood to dive over for the crucial touchdown and if Greenwood's mime of a television screen and the letter "T" for try will have done nothing to assuage the perception of England as arrogant in these parts then it was as much in relief as anything.

Points bring confidence and from that moment England were going forward, admittedly in an at times pedantic painting-by-numbers fashion which was never wholly convincing.

The suspicion has been growing at this tournament that England have arrived at their biggest challenge six months too late - and the peak of their summer triumphs over New Zealand and Australia must seem light years away.

The hamstring injury to Richard Hill has robbed them of their most devastating forward and with each game Wilkinson appears to shoulder the burden of expectation with increasing anxiety.

Still he managed five penalties, a conversion and a drop goal in a second half in which gallant Wales refused to surrender and kept the prospect of one of rugby's greatest shocks alive until the final moments.

They could not quite manage to deliver the dream but it was unpredictable sport at its very best. A privilege to be present.

But if "winning is everything" then Woodward has to come up with much, much more next weekend.